


Becoming

by puddlejumper99



Series: Tumblr Prompts [4]
Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: Fluff, M/M, PDA, Softness, it's a learning curve, mostly anyway
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-18
Updated: 2019-08-18
Packaged: 2020-09-06 12:34:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,171
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20291530
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/puddlejumper99/pseuds/puddlejumper99
Summary: Learning to be soft is an uphill process. Andrew and Neil take a stab at it anyway.





	Becoming

**Author's Note:**

> anon asked: Could you share your hc of the foxes reacting to soft(er) affection(as they get) andreil?
> 
> and i went on a bit of a tangent, featuring movie night with the og Foxes. enjoy!

The hallway was filled with the smell of pizza and the sound of chattering voices. Neil slipped through the door into the girls’ room, which was abuzz with conversation. It was only the original Foxes tonight, but there were still enough of them to make the small room feel crowded.

He ducked Matt's offered drink and spotted Andrew sitting at the end of the couch, watching Nicky's animated re-enactment of one of the final plays of tonight's game with a blank look on his face.

Neil skirted the coffee table and perched on the armrest above Andrew. His eyes flicked up to meet Neil's in greeting, then returned to Nicky. Neil repressed a small smile. Despite Andrew's bored expression, the very fact that he was watching Nicky at all was evidence of his attention.

"In summary, I am a mad genius," Nicky said. "We are so gonna win championships this year. I can feel it."

"If the freshmen don't ruin everything," Kevin said from Nicky's other side. He shot Neil a quick glance. "If we can't play Neil and Jack at the same time, we're at a major disadvantage."

"I'm dealing with it," Neil said, a little peevishly.

"No more Exy talk," Andrew said. "The game is over."

"Kev-iiin," Nicky whined, prodding at him, "why do you have to ruin everything? Did you even see my tackle?"

"One good play does not make a season," Kevin said.

"It's movie night," Neil said. "We'll do a recap at practice tomorrow."

Kevin looked like he was about to argue, but he stopped himself with a quick glance at Andrew. Neil couldn't see what Andrew had done, but he felt faintly grateful anyway.

The lights flickered on and off several times. "Attention everyone," Allison said. "We held a vote, and we're watching Legally Blonde."

"You were the only person that voted for that," Dan said dryly.

"We did technically hold a vote though," Matt said. "She lost, but she didn't lie."

"Legally Blonde is a classic," Allison said, sticking her nose up. "You're going to appreciate it, or else."

There were a few mutters, but nobody really had major objections. Movie night had started as a post-game decompress, but it had quickly been established as tradition once everyone realized it was the only night of the week that they got to avoid the freshmen completely. Exactly which movie they watched was an afterthought.

Unlike many of Allison's choices, this one seemed to strike something, because within a couple minutes even Kevin was snarking at the TV in Elle's defence, while Nicky fruitlessly begged for everyone to _please shut up so I can hear the movie. _

Neil watched with some distraction. He'd still not really gotten into pop culture, despite Nicky and Allison's efforts. He figured he'd just been out of the loop too long to care about getting back in it. But the movie was kind of entertaining. He admired Elle's devotion to studying law, even if her ex-boyfriend seemed like a loser.

He propped an elbow on the back of the couch. Andrew's eyes flicked up towards him before returning to the movie.

Neil dug his phone out of his pocket and tapped out a short message.

_How accurate is the legalese_

He heard the buzz of Andrew's phone a second after it sent. For a long moment, it looked like Andrew would ignore the message, but as the scene slipped into another emotional confrontation with the ex-boyfriend, Andrew's attention drifted from the TV screen to the phone in his pocket.

A response buzzed into Neil's hand. _Okay_

From Andrew, that was as resounding an endorsement as Neil could've asked for.

Neil glanced down at Andrew, feeling warm and sort of fuzzy. The team was getting riled up by the movie and were paying him no mind. His body was heavy and sore from the game, but with actual striker subs playing this year, it was nothing compared to the post-game aches last year. Andrew's head rested against the back of the couch a couple inches from his elbow, and Neil's eyes drifted from the TV to the tufted strands of Andrew's un-styled hair.

He tapped out another message, feeling a little lazy and a little bold. _Touch your hair, yes or no?_

A frisson of energy went through him when he pressed send. He tried to keep his eyes on the TV, posture casual, but he couldn't help glancing down when Andrew flipped his phone open.

He paused minutely. It wouldn't have been obvious if Neil hadn't been watching; Andrew's natural state was stillness. Neil bit the inside of his cheek as Andrew contemplated the message for a long moment, face hidden.

Finally, he typed out a slow response. It buzzed through to Neil's phone. _Now?_

Neil gnawed on his cheek, debating the merits of a longer explanation. In the end, he just replied: _Yeah_

He closed his phone and focussed on the movie. Below him, Andrew opened his phone and read the message.

Neil figured he would need to think on it for a moment, so he was startled when his phone buzzed barely a second later.

_Yes_

Neil folded his phone away, his chest a little tight. He couldn't remember what the movie was about anymore. Andrews's eyes darted up to him again, almost wary, as he rearranged his lean against the couch to give him better access to Andrew.

Andrew exhaled heavily through his nose when Neil's fingers slid into the fluffy mess of his post-game hair. He watched for a sign that he should stop, but Andrew just readjusted his shoulders slightly, head faced forward. Neil combed his fingers through Andrew's hair, twisting the longer bits around his fingers. It was startlingly soft. Neil's own hair was fried and twiggy from years of hair dye.

His gaze roved down the side of Andrew's face. His eyes were half-lidded and hidden in shadows. Neil bit the inside of his cheek and returned his gaze to the TV, idly brushing his fingers through Andrew's hair and marveling when Andrew leaned into his fingers like a cat seeking pressure.

A soft noise rustled across the room and Andrew stiffened, his shoulders tensing. Neil froze, his eyes shooting across the room.

Matt had one hand over his mouth, eyes wide with regret. His other hand was on Dan’s wrist, directing her attention across the couch. To Andrew and Neil.

Matt met Neil’s gaze and Neil gave a sharp shake to his head to stop him from saying anything.

It was too late. Allison had caught the movement. In seconds a half dozen sets of eyes were swinging over to where Neil’s hand was still buried in Andrew’s hair.

Neil retracted his hand a beat too late. “What?” Nicky said, twisting around in his spot next to Andrew. “What are you all looking at?”

Neil opened his mouth to tell everyone to stop gawking, but Andrew was already moving, pushing himself to his feet. Neil jumped up and followed him out the door, ignoring Matt’s apologetic protest. “Andrew,” he said, as the door swung shut behind them.

Andrew strode down the hallway to the stairwell, his movements jagged and tense. “Andrew,” Neil said. “Stop, look at me—”

He grabbed Andrew’s hand to slow him down and Andrew lurched to a halt, spinning around to face Neil. His face was pale in the naked fluorescent light, his eyes wide and flickering. Neil would’ve thought he was angry at how Neil had grabbed him if it wasn’t for the fact that Andrew’s fingernails were digging into his hand so tight that they were going to leave bruises.

“Hey,” Neil said. “Look at me.”

“Shut up,” Andrew growled. His grip on Neil’s hand didn’t relent. Neil took a slow breath, meeting Andrew’s gaze evenly.

They stared each other down in the stairwell. Andrew stood a couple steps above him, their hands linked in the open space between them. The buzz of the overhead lights droned in Neil’s ears.

Slowly, Andrew’s shoulders dropped, the muscle in his jaw smoothing out. Neil carefully shifted his hand, interlacing their fingers. Andrew squeezed, like he was reassuring himself that Neil was real.

Andrew turned back up the stairs again, this time without the frenetic pace. Neil let himself get drawn along by their linked hands, watching the lines of Andrew’s back.

Andrew shouldered his way out onto the roof, but he didn’t go straight to the edge like Neil expected. The door slammed shut behind them with a gust of wind and Andrew shook out his pack of cigarettes one-handed, propping one between his lips before tilting the pack towards Neil.

Neil shook his head. This close to Andrew, he didn’t need his own cigarette. Andrew folded the pack into his pocket without a word and dug out his lighter.

Smoke swirled and caught around them. Neil rubbed his thumb across Andrew’s knuckles, scanning the horizon. The sky was purple and bruised with storm clouds. Humidity hung in the air in thick curtains.

Neil's phone vibrated. Andrew flicked his eyes towards him, but Neil didn't make a move to grab it.

They stood shoulder to shoulder for a long moment as Andrew burned through his cigarette. Neil suppressed a shiver. His t-shirt wasn't meant to guard him against the evening chill.

His phone buzzed again.

"Are you going to check that?" Andrew said.

Neil shot him an assessing look before scrounging his phone out of his pocket.

"Matt wants to know if we're okay," he said, looking up to study Andrew's profile. "Are we?"

Andrew ashed his cigarette, a tiny wrinkle forming between his eyebrows. He didn't say anything.

"Was it me touching your hair?" Neil asked. "Or was it that they saw?"

"I don't care what they think," Andrew bit out.

Neil read between the lines. "But it bothered you."

"Nothing bothers me."

"Am I still nothing?"

“No.”

Neil blinked. Andrew wasn’t looking at him, but the set of his jaw was tight. “Oh,” Neil murmured, looking away, a fizzing, bubbling feeling rising in his stomach. He wrestled it down before it could show on his face.

“It shouldn’t matter,” Andrew said.

Neil didn’t know if he meant what had just happened in the dorms, or _this_. He didn’t try to specify. “We don’t always get to decide what matters.”

“Don’t pretend at wisdom,” Andrew said. “I know you.”

“You do,” Neil said, resting his shoulder against Andrew’s. Andrew leaned back, just slightly, his broad arm radiating heat. “Are we okay?”

The wind gusted again, sending goosebumps rising up the back of his neck. “Yes,” Andrew said, after a few seconds.

Neil squeezed his hand, typing out a message clumsily with his left. _Fine. Just needed space. Don’t wait up_

Matt’s response came through instantaneously. _Let me know if you need anything. _

Neil closed his phone and shoved it into his back pocket. “Do you want to go back in?”

A longer pause. “Not today.”

_Not today_. But maybe tomorrow. Neil didn’t say it aloud; he didn’t need to.

“I’m going to head back inside,” he said. “I’ll text you when it’s done.”

Andrew nodded, a bare tilt of the head. Neil raised their linked hands and brushed a kiss across his knuckles. Andrew flexed his fingers when Neil released them, closing his hand and tucking it into his jacket pocket.

Neil lingered a second longer to make sure Andrew was really okay before slipping back into the stairwell. It was only a few scant degrees warmer, so he descended back to the Foxes floor quickly. The door to the girls’ room was still unlocked.

He pushed it open and had about half a second to edge into the room before Allison paused the movie and all eyes turned on him.

“Hey,” Matt said. “Are you--”

“I’m fine,” Neil said.

Allison rolled her eyes. “Right, we’ve never heard that one before.”

Neil shot her a glare. Aaron beat him to the punch, though. “Where’s Andrew?” he said, scowling at Neil.

“He needed a break,” Neil said, and nodded his head towards the TV. “You can keep watching.”

“Should we wait for him?” Renee asked.

Neil shook his head. At Renee’s prodding, Allison huffed and pressed play. Neil dropped into the spot on the couch Andrew had vacated. Nicky shot him an inquiring look, but Neil shook his head to dissuade questions.

The movie played onwards, not that Neil paid much attention.

* * *

Above, on the roof, Andrew watched the storm roll towards Palmetto, washing away the dust of a dry autumn. His hand in his pocket still burned with the imprint of Neil’s kiss.

He rubbed his thumb over his fingernails and tossed the butt of his cigarette away. The wind mussed his hair, blowing away the ghosts of Neil’s fingers.

His hair was too intimate, he decided. That had been a mistake.

Hands, though. He could manage that.

Next time.

The first raindrops hit the roof and he pulled his jacket around himself, waiting for the storm to break.

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading!


End file.
